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If Saddam uses Chemical/Bio weapons?

Contributor: Fleabag

Date: 2003-03-26 18:36:23

If Iraq uses chemical weapons against US troops, there is already a response in the offing. Presidential Security Directive #17 states that the US will escalate to nuclear weapons if attacked by WMD. That leaves Canada in a bit of a quandry. If we say 'all bets are off' also, we will them be supporting nuclear (albeit tactical) war. Something of a dangerous precedent, I should think.

In fact, the US has already been subjected to a WMD attack, on it's own soil. The anthrax mailings seems to have fallen off of the media story list, right around the time the anthrax strain in question was 'genetically mapped' and traced back to Ft. Detrick, Maryland. Odd, considering the fact that 2 US senators were ostensibly targeted for WMD assassination.

This begs the question, "Why has the US invaded a country that might have WMD, and then MIGHT sell them to terrorist organizations (provided that the US can prove Iraq has them in the first place) and stopped the investigation of ACTUAL use of WMD on US soil against US citizens?"

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If Saddam uses Chemical/Bio weapons?

Contributor: Barretm82

Date: 2003-03-26 22:54:57

Some good points, but there is a substantial difference between Canada saying, "all bets are off", because we don't really have WMD in our weapon inventories in contrast to the U.S.

Perhaps the quote, “all bets are off” misses the mark; it has become an American expression that has come to represent M.A.D...

The context I am looking for is that WMD used by Saddam would alter our current policy to Iraq. (It’s been another long day and the words elude me at this moment).

As far as the Anthrax, I suspect that the FBI/CIA have concluded who is responsible but can't prove it. Although I know this isn't due to lack of effort, the evidence just doesn't hold up in court at this time.

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If Saddam uses Chemical/Bio weapons?

Contributor: Fleabag

Date: 2003-03-26 23:43:34

I understand what you mean by your euphemism. I would go so far as to say that it should deeply effect the position of the fence-sitters and indeed of those in doubt of the Iraqi capabilities. Intentions, however, were purely speculative(and projected) and now moot. One side is now going to be exposed as liars. Which one remains to be seen.
As for your comment regarding the WMD attack on the US, it is quite curious that lack of evidence would stop the US gov't from further investigation or the laying of charges, when they would spend (now forseeably) 100 billion dollars on an equal lack of evidence, and no proof of a crime(against the US).

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If Saddam uses Chemical/Bio weapons?

Contributor: Barretm82

Date: 2003-03-27 12:26:49

...As for your comment regarding the WMD attack on the US, it is quite curious that lack of evidence would stop the US gov't from further investigation or the laying of charges, when they would spend (now forseeably) 100 billion dollars on an equal lack of evidence, and no proof of a crime(against the US)....

A quick response would is that Saddam is recognized as a despot world wide by his documented public actions.

Whereas the suspect(s) in the Anthrax case can not be connected to other crimes to show overall intentions or too get a conviction on Basically there are no other criminal references for that individual(s), thus there is currently an uncertainty in that case.

At this point, no one disputes Saddam's brutal nature, Fleabag; you can’t deny that if Saddam was in Canada he would have been put away for a myriad of offences a long time ago.

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